


To Court a Senju

by Kage88



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-03-11 13:32:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13525329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kage88/pseuds/Kage88
Summary: For Madara, if something is worth doing, then it's worth doing right. No matter how terrifying the process might be.





	1. Seeking permission

**Author's Note:**

  * For [raendown](https://archiveofourown.org/users/raendown/gifts).



> My tumblr fic!

For @raendown 

*** 

Very few things in life frightened Madara. Losing his brother was at the top of that list. So it was no real surprise that he’d developed a bit of affection for the one who could have taken him away, but chose not to. And it was a choice, not a fluke as some claim.

Failing his clan came in second on his list of fears. It was the reason he was finally able to accept Hashirama’s offer of peace. To stop the bloodshed and give families a bit of hope. 

These were reasonable fears. Acceptable even. He was the oldest brother, of course he worried about his little brother. And as Clan Head it was his duty and his honor to look after his clan. He never feared battle. Never feared his enemies. And he had never before feared Hashirama. The man was a giant puppy. Always eager to please. Always looking at the bigger picture. Just a massive, cheerful dork. Until he very suddenly wasn’t anymore.

“Please, repeat that.” His voice was cold, his eyes hard and the look on his face would have sent a lesser man running. Possibly crying. As it was, Madara was very suddenly aware of how much wooden furniture was in the room, and just how easily it could be turned against him. Mito, who had been sitting beside her husband, was staring at Hashirama in shock and a good helping of lust. She darted a quick look at Madara, to see if he would continue. Well, if it was worth doing it was worth doing right. And this, this was more than worth doing if it got him a chance. So he cleared his throat and asked again. 

“If he is willing, I’d like your permission to court Tobirama.” 

The smile he got sent shivers of dread down his spine. This wasn’t Hashirama the village leader he was dealing with. Nor was it Hashirama the Clan Head. No. This was Hashirama the Big Brother, a side to his friend that many dismissed. That was their mistake.

“And why do you want to court my baby brother?”

***

After the thoroughly horrifying conversation with Hashirama (and the equally horrifying response Mito had to seeing that side of her husband. He was almost certian that they would soon be expecting) Madara had gone home to gather his nerves. He was very aware that it was only because he actually respected Tobirama that Hashirama had agreed to let him attempt to court the younger man. He would have to be subtle. Get the man used to spending a bit of his free time with him. Tea. He’d invite him for tea after the next council meeting. Friends had tea together all the time. And who couldn’t use a pick-me-up after those damn meetings? 

*** 

The meeting was worse than normal. It ended with everyone tense and a few with a new respect for their leader. The Mori clan, who had come to petition for a place in the village, were very much terrified and greatful to be escorted from the village. A purposed marriage alliance crumpled in their leaders hand. Denied. 

Tobirama had a pinched look on his face and his jaw was clenched so tightly it must have hurt. Madara wasn’t even thinking of courting him when the offer slipped out. He just wanted to make the stress go away. 

“Hey, let’s take a break. I’ll buy you tea.”

A startled, but pleased look crossed the younger man’s face. “That does sound nice.” 

Warmth bubbled in Madara’s chest. Only to be doused when he saw the glare Hashirama was shooting him over his brothers shoulder. Madara realized that while the offer itself was innocent, after shooting down the marriage proposal Hashirama was bound to be more protective than normal. So it was no surprise when he invited himself along.

“Tea sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Perhaps I’ll join you.” 

How Hashirama joining them turned into Mito, Izuna and that harpy Touka joining them he wasn’t sure. At least he was able to sit next to Tobirama. He even managed to tease a small huff of laughter from the pale man when he called out Izuna and Touka for playing footsies under the table. (He never wanted to feel Touka drag her toes up his leg again. Even if it did mean he learned about Tobirama’s dimples.) All in all, tea was a success. Not how he had hoped. But perhaps better. And he was in no rush. Relationships are built on friendship, his mother had told him. If you can’t be friends with the person you’re with you shouldn’t be with them. And friendships, those took time to build as he’d told Hashirama. He wasn’t looking for quick and easy. He wanted to be someone Tobirama could trust. Someone he could turn to. And he wanted Tobirama to be that person for him too. 

***notes*** I’m functioning on 3 hours of sleep and half a cup of coffee. Also, tumblr ate my first attempt. I was very annoyed Enjoy!


	2. Slow Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A good relationship has a solid foundation of friendship, and those take time and effort. On both sides.

Befriending Tobirama was slow going. The younger man was reserved, antisocial even. Outside of his brother and cousin he didn’t seem to be interested in people. In fact he seemed to be rather uncomfortable around them. But Madara was up for the challenge. He just had to let the stubborn bastard know he wasn’t faking it. That he really wanted to get to know him. That he wasn’t trying to use him for something. It burned, learning that someone had tried to use him in the past. Had faked caring about him and in the process made it so much harder for anyone else to get to know the man. There was a reason Hashirama was so damned protective.

Over the past few weeks Madara had been slowly starting to spend more time around Tobirama. They’d had tea together a couple more times, always with Hashirama joining them. Madara would have been annoyed, but Tobirama always seemed so pleased that Hashirama wanted to join them that he just didn’t have the heart to deny him. But the only time he was able spend any time alone with him was while working on a ranking system for the village shinobi. That time however was devoted entirely to work. And Tobirama was nothing short of a workaholic. One who had more than once forgotten to take a break or stop for lunch. Who would go for days without sleeping.  
Learning about that particular habit also lead him to the single most adorable thing he’d ever seen.

Tobirama had gone for about five days without sleep, working on something he refused to talk about. According to the harpy, this was fairly normal behavior when he was developing a new technique. He would go for days without rest if Hashirama didn’t drag him to bed. This time “bed” happened to be a comfy cushion that had been dragged next to Hashirama’s own so Tobirama could curl into a surprisingly compact ball under his brother’s outer robes, while Hashirama himself acted as a pillow.

Hashirama was absently petting his brothers hair, the only visible part of him, as he read his reports smiling gently at the soft snuffles coming from beneath the robe.

Madara couldn’t bring himself to disturb them and had backed out of the office.

And that was only one of the things he’d seen. Honestly, how anyone in that clan could see Tobirama as anything but adorable was beyond him. The man was like a cat. Ever curious, surprisingly playful, somewhat standoffish, hell, he even sneezed like a kitten! (Madara completely ignored the fact that some cats, particularly the larger ones, were terrifying)   
But it seemed like most of the Senju clan was uncomfortable around him. They wouldn’t make eye contact, or try to talk to him. Some even flat out avoided him as much as the Uchiha would. It hurt to see someone’s clan treat them like that. It hurt even more to see Tobirama treat it as normal.

At least the children weren’t shy around him.

***

A few days after Tobirama’s research binge he showed up at Madara’s office. He looked a bit worn down, but there was a distinct light of triumph in his eyes.

“You look smugger than usual. What did you do and how much is Hashirama going to pout about it?”

A small, barely there smile curved pale lips and he fought to keep from staring. Tobirama didn’t seem to notice.

“Anija shouldn’t be too upset about this one. He may even enjoy it.”

Madara gave that the snort it deserved. Hashirama constantly dispaired over Tobirama’s techniques. To dangerous for most people to use or simply to complicated. They drove the elder Senju nuts.

Tobirama kept his smug little grin in place. “Lunch?”

Madara froze for a second, shocked. Tobirama had actually remembered food without prompting, and most importantly, he’d sought out Madara for the first time.

Heart thundering in his chest, he agreed as he quickly shuffled his pappers into a messy stack.  
“Lead the way, Senju.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel I should let everyone know this entire thing was wrtten on my phone. And it likes to change random words for no reason. In to "on" or "I'm".stuff like that. Also, no beta


	3. Not a Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends have lunch together all the time.

It’s a few days late, but happy birthday @raendown! I hope you enjoy it, even though it’s not very long.

************

The walk to the restaurant near the tower took no time at all it seemed. Madara kept a careful distance between them, hyper aware of the stares they were receiving. Didn’t people have better things to do? It’s not like they were never seen out together! Yes, Hashirama was usually with them, but even so! They hadn’t had a real argument since…  
Well, since about two weeks after he’d first invited Tobirama out for tea. It was also the only argument with the stubborn man he’d ever won. (That might be because he’d had Hashirama and Touka on his side. It was still a victory. It wasn’t his fault Tobirama had no sense when it came to his own health after difficult missions.)

That was beside the point, point was, they were getting along fairly well now. And this lunch invitation certainly put him on Tobirama’s friend list. He was sure of it. If they never got past this point he was sure he could die happy. In fact he might just keel over if he sees that shy smile the man shot him as they sat down again.

Madara waited until they had placed their order and gotten their drinks before lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on them.

“Alright, what are you working on?” His heart skipped a beat or two when the other’s eyes lit up and a pleased grin graced his lips. Madara very firmly kept his eyes locked on Tobirama’s.

“Anija was talking awhile back about how he wished he could be in two places at once. So he could do his duty and spend time with everyone.”

And he was off explaining how he had created a brand new clone technique, how it could transfer memories. How he’s litterally made it possible to be in two places at once. Just so his brother could have a life outside of the office.

‘He really is a very kind man. It’s a shame he had to spend so much of his life at war. He and Izuna deserve so much better.’ It was a thought he had more and more often.

He almost, almost, glared when the food finally arrived. Because once the waiter approched the younger man clammed up again and the spark faded from his eyes.

Once the waiter was gone Tobirama cleared his throat, the tips of his ears tinting pink.

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to ramble on.”

“Not at all, it’s very interesting.” It took a little work and a few detailed questions, but he did get the other to continue. By the time lunch ended Madara was amazed all over again and wasn’t afraid to show it, earning another heart stopping smile and an offer to learn the technique after he’s worked out the kinks. An offer he eagerly accepted.

If he could stop time in that very moment and stay there forever…

Well, he wouldn’t. Not when he had the chance to spend time with him, learning about the things that he loves and what lengths he would go to for the people he loved. It was a chance that he knew not many people got.

On the way back to the tower he couldn’t keep his carefully maintained distance. Not when Tobirama was so expressive as he explained his creation process, hands moving constantly to emphasize certain points or to show him subtle changes to traditional hand signs.

It was after one such demonstration that Tobirama dropped his hand back to his side, continuing to show his companion a one handed sign and never even noticing that somehow their fingers tangled together. Madara very carefully didn’t jerk his hand away and tried to force down the flush trying to color his cheeks. He didn’t want to draw attention to it, because Tobirama was obviously to distracted by his explination to notice and he wanted it to last. At the same time though, his heart was in his throat and there was an awful fluttering in his stomach. He needed to put some distance between them before he tried to hold that hand properly.

Finally, and yet all to soon, those long fingers slipped away from his as Tobirama brought his hand up to rub the bridge of his nose. As casually as possible, Madara tucked his hands in his sleeves, and thought of the painful ways Hashirama would kill him if he had seen that.

Glancing at Tobirama he saw his peaceful expression and his still animated hands. Somehow he seemed more relaxed than he had all week.

**********

Tobirama was slightly relieved when they reached the tower. He wasn’t used to spending so much time around people other than his brother and his cousin. And being out in the village as much as he had been recently was wearing on him. He was also slightly embarrassed that he’d slid into an old habit he had with as a child.

When he would be overwhelmed by people and their chakra signatures he would ground himself with Hashirama’s bright presence. As it was always easier to do via touch, and Hashirama had never been shy about affection, he would tangle their fingers together and let Hashirama block out everyone else’s chakra.

He hadn’t realised that he was comfortable enough around Madara to do the same. Maybe it was because he actively listened and asked questions when he was explaining things. Or it was that last little spat they had. He was used to Touka and his brother getting annoyed when he didn’t rest between missions, and he knew it was because they cared. (He didn’t think they realized that being away for any length of time and then coming back and being bombarded with chakra signatures was painful.)

Having Madara act the same way his family did was a bit of a surprise. A pleasant one, to be sure.

He just wished he could find the words to explain how it felt. No other sensor seemed to have the same problem.

He was just glad that this time Madara didn’t call him out on his slip.

He really was very kind. It’s no wonder Hashirama tried so hard to keep their friendship alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter I have finished. Working on the next part. I've touched on a issue I imagine a sensor might have. It's gonna come up again.


	4. Musings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title says it all. Plus we see a tiny bit of Hashirama being protective.

Hashirama wanted to be annoyed with his friend. He really did. But according to all accounts it was Tobi who had sought Madara out. Tobi, who hadn’t tried to connect with anyone outside of family in years(not counting children, of course. He couldn’t wait til Tobi had kids of his own.) No. He couldn’t be angry that his baby brother was finally starting to open up again, and to smile.

But there was the simple fact that he wasn’t sure if this was Tobirama accepting the courting, or accepting the friendship that Madara insisted he wanted first and foremost. And in all fairness to Madara, he hasn’t done anything that could be seen as anything but friendly. Sure, he seemed to be on cloud nine half the time, but most people who were able to tease a smile out of his brother acted that way. Tobi has a very sweet smile. The dimples were just overkill.

Tobirama seemed more relaxed now too. But that could be due to having more than three people to talk to. After all, spending time with Madara ment spending time with Izuna and Hikaku, doubling his social circle. It could be a wonderful thing. Or it could be terrible.

Hashirama really really wanted it to be a good thing. But he refused to get his hopes up again. No matter how much he loves Madara, there will be blood of Tobi got hurt. He was done with warnings. (The last one learned that the hard way. He never did make it back from that mission. Such a shame. The tree he had last been seen resting under was quite a bit larger now. Something about the soil.)

When Hashirama finally had the chance to hunt down his baby brother for a chat, he found the younger man curled up with a book. Not unusual, but the book itself was obviously not work related. Joy bubbled up in his chest at the sight of his brother relaxing for once. So, instead of trying to start what could be an emotional conversation, he wandered over to the book shelf and found one for himself. Tobi’s reading couch was the single most comfortable thing in the world. He wanted to put it in his office for naps. (And if that ment Tobirama would spend more time with him all the better)

His brother led out a content hum when he was settled in the other corner, and promptly shoved his cold feet under him.

“Fuck! Wear socks!”

The only response he got was a turned page and the icecubes that his brother called toes wiggling behind his back. How rude! He’d complain about it, but he knew it wouldn'tdo any good. Tobi had been using him as a space heater since he was born. The fact that he could see the smile lurking helped too. The man needed to smile more.

They read together in silence, content to just be in the same space. There was no need to fill the silence with anything but the sound of a turning page.

***

Izuna was tired of waiting for Madara to talk about what was going on between him and Tobirama. Really. It had been weeks since that first outing. And apparently Tobirama had invited Madara to lunch the other day. And Madara hadn’t told him! He had to find out from the gossip chain! He should be the first to know about his brothers dates! Not the last!

…He could be second. Hashirama could be terrifying when he wanted to be. And Izuna had looked into Tobirama’s dating history, what he could anyway. For all that his clan seemed nervous around him, they were oddly protective of him.

There was a distinct lack of surviving ex’s. The most recent hadn’t made it back from his last mission. The one before that had somehow gotten caught in the crossfire between Hashirama and Madara. The one before that, and the last that anyone would talk about, just disappeared one night. No one would say why they had broken up, but everyone knew why they had ‘disappeared’. The answer was one happy, smiling, goofball who was capable of turning the entire village into a living weapon.

Hell, thinking about it made him shiver. And Madara, he had some serious balls to ask Hashirama for permission to try and court Tobirama, and then to go through with it! He wasn’t sure if he shouldbe proud of his big brother, or worried for him. Or annoyed.

Honestly, he could only be patient for so long. He needed to know just how deep his brother was. Maybe subtly ask for courting tips. It was so unfair that Madara was having more luck with TOBIRAMA, of all people, than he was with Touka! He’d thought things were going well. But lately she seemed more distracted, less interested in sparring, which had been his go to method of spending time with her.

Was he becoming a boring sparring partner? She wouldn’t want to be with him if he was! Maybe he needed more variety in their matches? He should ask Tobirama to spar with him! That always made him think up new techniques. Surely Touka would be interested in sparring again if he had something new!

Maybe then she would stop eyeing the tea house so much everytime they were together.

***

Tobirama was in a good mood. He’d spent hours curled up on his favorite couch reading a book with his big brother, without interruption even. That hadn’t happened since the village had been established, both of them were always so busy. He’d then successfully goaded Izuna into a rant when he tried to badger him into a sparring match when he had to visit the Uchiha compound for a meeting. It had made his cousin laugh, so it was an all around win in his eyes. She had been rather down lately. So making her smile was worth listening to Izuna reach truly amazing volumes. And to make everything even better, he had finally found the perfect student. Eager to learn, bright and cheerful and ready to work. And most importantly, willing to ask not only “how” but “why”.

As an added bounus, he was an Uchiha child! The Senju elders would have an absolute fit when they found out and he couldn’t wait. Maybe he’d be able to take a picture of their faces to show Madara.

His heart did a funny twist as he thought of the smile he’d get when he told the older man the good news. He was truly looking forward to having tea with him and Hashirama again. His brother always encouraged him to keep looking and Madara never failed to smile when he talked about how much he wanted to be a teacher. It made it easier to keep his hope from fading when parents refused to let their children learn from him. And now he got to share good news rather than just his hopes.

***

A bit short, but I wanted to post it before work and there’s no way I’m getting the next scene done before I go in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, we will eventually find out why Tobi's had such a rough dating history.


	5. Fans?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm which Izuna learns just why Madara was having better luck.

Short chapter. But getting into clan differences a bit. Also, no Madara this time. Izuna kinda took over. And then there was Touka.

***

Izuna was following him, and he wasn’t even trying to be subtle about it. From the market where he was buying lunch to the tower where he dropped off a stack of paperwork before being chased out again. The entire time Izuna stayed three feet back and slightly to the left.

The white haired man was determined to ignore him on his forced day off, and damn Hashirama for insisting he take it, he decided to wander the village. Surely Izuna would lose interest.

But no. Three feet back and to the left. Constantly. From the tower to the grounds chosen for the academy, where he spoke for a while with the future academy headmistress, to the training grounds that he and Hashirama preferred to use. He wanted to visit the new tiger cubs, unfortunately they were napping and he didn’t want to wake them. From there to the edge of the village where finally the Uchiha broke his silence. It was with a question that Tobirama wasn’t expecting.

“Who was Asuko? She disappeared after you broke up with her, but no one will say why.”

Tobirama tensed, old memories coming up in a flash of hurt and shame. Playful smiles and soft brown eyes. She had been everything he’d thought he wanted. Smart, funny, not afraid to speak her mind. Not the most beautiful of girls, but at 14 he’d thought she was perfect.

“That is none of your business!”

“Of course it’s my business! If my brother is courting you then I have a right to know why your exes keep disappearing!”

The haze of memories came to an abrupt end as shock settled over him.

Courting? People thought Madara was courting him? How? There were none of the traditional gifts or letters.

“He’s not courting me.”

They stared at eachother in silence for a minute, awkward and tense.

“You went on a date the other day?” Izuna offered hesitantly.

“We had lunch! Hell, he had lunch with Mito the two days ago!”

That seemed to give Izuna pause.

(It did, but only because he suddenly understood why his brother had come home so horrified. He’d have to ask about that.)

“Tell me he’s at least given you a fan?”

Izuna wantched with curious amusement as understanding lit the Senju’s jeweltoned eyes. They really were very pretty when he wasn’t glaring. He saw amusement war with a sort of creeping horror and an odd relief on his rivals face, with the horror seeming to win out. What the hell was that about?

“Izuna… Fans are given as a sign of friendship in our clan.”

“Friendship?” Izuna’s voice was barely audible. “I thought she was playing hard to get…”

Not wanting to get stuck with a love sick melodramatic Uchiha, Tobirama started to stretch his senses, reaching for one of his seals. Unfortunately desperation lent Izuna speed and he found the man’s fingers digging into his shoulders.

“What do I give her instead?! Tobirama, please! What are the Senju courting gifts?!”

As attempting to pry the man’s fingers from his shirt didn’t work he gave in with a disgusted sigh.

 

***

Touka was helping her cousin for the day, in an attempt to keep Tobirama from working at least a little while. It wasn’t fun work, or easy. But it kept her from thinking to much about the newest fan to join her collection. It was beautiful. Black silk with silver dragons embroidered across it. Each rib was tipped with sharp, hallow points. It was beautiful as well as useful.

She hated it as much as she loved it. Just like she hated and loved the rest of the fans Izuna had gifted her with.

He was perfect. Smart and funny, definantly cute. He could hold his own against her and he wouldn’t hold back.

Really, she should have known better than to get her hopes up. She was always disappointed. Truly the only one in the clan to have worse luck with relationships was Tobirama. The less said about his abysmal dating history the better.

He used to joke that they could grow old alone together. But now, with how Madara looked at him, it looked like that offer was off the table. Not that she begrudged him that. He deserved a bit of happiness.

With a determined growl she ripped her thoughts back to the present and the task on hand.

Sorting missions and assigning them was an important job. One that she couldn’t afford to be distracted for. She would never forgive herself if someone died because she sent them on a mission they weren’t ready for.  
She could deal with her emotions later. Or never. Never was good too.

With a vicious, vindictive smirk she assigned Madara to an escort mission for they daimyo’s daughter. Couldn’t send someone to low ranking after all.  
***

Finally free of his tag-a-long, Tobirama slowly made his way home, lost in thought.

He hadn’t thought much of Asuko is a while now, having finally moved on. But now he wondered how she was. Izuna talked like she had died. But he knew better. Knew where she was. Sometimes, if she came close to the borders he could feel her. A quick flash of her chakra in River before she was back in Wind. Probably trying to spy on someone else.

He wondered at the time, if he made the right choice in letting her escape. She hadn’t been able to get anything about the clan. And she hadn’t hurt anyone, if you didn’t count breaking his heart. Certainly nothing to deserve the death sentence given to any spy they captured.


	6. Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we see both sets of brothers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy it!

When Izuna flew into the house and started tearing through his room Madara just sighed. There was no way in hell he was going to pick out another fan for the brat. If Touka wasn’t open to being courted then Izuna needed to let her go. It was as simple as that and his little brother needed to respect her choice.

…He really hoped he didn’t have to have that conversation with him. Izuna was better then that, or their mother would have come back to haunt them both. Pushing those thoughts away He foucused on preparing for the mission he’d been assigned.

He frowned at his pack, wondering if he should take one of his good yukata with him. He didn’t think he would need it, but the daimyo could be stubborn sometimes when it came to showing his appreciation for the ninja who work with his family on occasion.

Wrinkling his nose in disgust at the habits of the man and his court he packed his best one, just to be safe. If he was lucky it would get ruined and his aunt would never be able to force him into it again.

A loud thump and heartfelt groan distracted him from his musings causing him to roll his eyes. And people thought he was the dramatic one. Izuna had him beat, hands down. Hell, the only person more dramatic than Izuna was Hashirama. (He was blaming their common ancestor for the dramatics.) Sealing his neatly folded yukata in his pack, Madara sat down to wait out his little brother’s sulking.

True to his normal pattern it wasn’t long before he shuffled into the room and threw himself face first on the bed.

“Senju are weird! Why can’t they do things like normal people?”

He rolled to his side looking thoughtful before he frowned, “Ni-san, you know them better than I do. Why didn’t you tell me their courtship gifts were different?”

That… was entirely unexpected, and yet it made a lot of sense. Why would their customs be the same? And why hadn’t he thought of that sooner? What if he accidentally did something to make Tobirama uncomfortable or worse.

“Believe it or not, that’s never come up. What did Touka tell you?”

Pouting like a child his little brother huffed.

“She didn’t. I asked Tobirama what happened to Asuko, because if you’re courting him I need to know why his exes keep disappearing. And since you went out to lunch I wanted to know if he had accepted your fan.”

An exasperated groan escaped him. ‘Damn nosey little brothers…’

“I haven’t started courting him yet, Izuna. You know Mama wanted us to build friendships first. Hell, maybe after I get to know him better I’ll only see him as a friend.”

Judging by the look on his brothers face Madara really should have know he wasn’t going to like what came out of his mouth next.

“Right, because you dream about friends the way I dream about Touka.”

They both flushed instantly, horribly embarassed. The silence that fell after that was supremely awkward as they tried not to look at each other. A few moments later and Izuna couldn’t takebit anymore. He coughed lightly then hopped up.

“I’m… going to find a puzzle box. Have a good mission!”

***

Hashirama hummed happily as he wandered to village streets, looking for a treat to bribe his baby brother with. Madara was out of the village for a week, so he had time to find out exactly where Madara and his brother stood. If that ment feeding Tobirama’s sweettooth then so be it. Maybe he could find something with blueberries? With a smile he made his way to a bakery that Madara had mentioned liking.

He was starting to calm down a bit about Madara wanting to court Tobirama. Just a bit. And only because Tobi was starting to come out of his shell. He’d even told the eldars to go fuck themselves the other day, causing Touka to laugh herself sick.

Oh he more subtle about it, Tobi had always been very proper. But he was finally coming out of his funk from the war. (There were explosions from his lab again, and annoyed “that wasn’t supposed to happen"s and inventions that were so handy and harmless and Hashirama had never realized how much he missed that before.)

Hashirama wasn’t ashamed to admit that he missed this version of his baby brother. If being friends with Madara, because Hashirama had looked into Uchiha courting customs the day he asked permission to try and knew that Madara hadn’t offered him a fan yet, (Kami but the Uchiha were strange about romance…) and teaching a tiny Uchiha child were what helped, then he would support him whole heartedly.

And, well, little Kagami was like a odd mix of Itama’s smile and Kawarama’s pyromania. It could have been painful, should have been, but he had Tobirama’s curiosity and Izuna’s flaily dramtics added in as well. It took the pain away and spun the child into someone truely unique and Hashirama found himself attached along with Tobirama.

Kagami’s mother had taken one look at how happy her son was when Tobi had asked her permission to train him, and another at Tobirama’s guarded expression and invited him to dinner. Hashirama was almost certain that she was going to make sure he ate homemade meals as often as she could.

***

When Hashirama showed up just as he was finishing up with little Kagami for the day he knew his brother was after something. When he smiled and presented him with a fresh blueberry tart he just knew his brother wasn’t leaving without an answer. Even knowing this he wasn’t going to pass up the snack.

Hashirama was always on him about eating better, or at least eating healthy meals more often, so he always felt a small twinge of guilt when he indulged in sweets after skipping meals. So when Hashirama himself offered the sweets without a meal attached he was willing to answer his questions. Even if they were awkward or painful.

"Anija. We were just finishing up.”

His brother’s smile looked painful, far to wide to be remotely comfortable.

“Excellent! I’ve brought enough for all of us! We can celebrate your first day training together! Then we can walk you home.”

Kagami’s eyes lit up, obviously pleased and he looked up at Tobirama with such a hopeful expression. He gave in with an exaggerated sigh.

“I suppose that is worth celebrating.”

The child cheered and threw his arms in the air before hugging them both. Then he beamed up at Hashirama and waited, impatiently, for him to pass out the treats. Kagami got his first n took large bite, making Hashirama laugh.

As soon as his brother handed him his he started picking off the berries one by one, taking time to savor each one. His little charge watched him even as he took another large bite.

“Sensei, you like blueberries?”

“Chew, Kagami. Talking with your mouth full is very rude.”

Pouting the boy did as he was told before speaking again.

“You sound like my Mama.”

Hashirama chuckled as Tobi glared at him before he turned back to his student.

“That’s because you Mama is right. Now, to answer your question, yes. I do enjoy blueberries.”

Beaming Kagami went back to his snack, inhaling it with the speed of growing children everywhere. The brothers ate in silence, both remembering their younger brothers and days spent skipping training to find and snack on wild berries.

And then it was time to walk Kagami home and face the music.

***

Hashirama waited until they had left the Uchiha compound before he started.

“So, has Madara given you a fan yet?”

Tobirama eyed him, then snorted.  
“You’re not very subtle Anija. No. He hasn’t. Izuna however, has given Touka five of them.”

A startled laugh escaped him and he leaned on his baby brother for support as he giggled helplessly. Tobirama rolled his eyes and grumbled, but he could see the small smirk. Laughing even harder he gasped,

“How did he take it when he found out we use them to symbolize friendship?”

“Horrified desperation.”

Howling with laughter and getting more than a few odd looks Hashirama threw an arm around his shoulders and pulled him towards home. And Tobirama let him where before he would have shrugged him off of out up a fight.

“So, no fan then.”

“Mm. He gave me a good luck charm before going on his mission. According to Izuna that’s their version of a fan.”

A tenseness eased out of him and he finally relaxed.

“He’s a good friend. I can see why you tried so hard to keep his friendship.”

Hashirama laughed again, deeper, but genuine.

Friends. He could handle that.


	7. Feelings all around!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Progress is made on all sides. Tobirama learns more about his brother and Mito than he ever wanted to know and Madara finally finished his mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long.

Tobirama felt a small twinge in his chest when he realized that he would be having lunch alone for the third day in a row. Had it really been so long since he’d gone more than a day without someone joining him on his break? Thinking back it he’d had consistent company ever since Madara had invited him to tea that first time. He hadn’t realized he’d grown so accustomed to Madara joining him. And a lot of the time Hashirama joined them too.

Madara was going to be gone for a few more days though, and he really didn’t want to eat alone again… maybe he’d ask Hashirama to join him for lunch. Or Touka. She had been fairly depressed recently. Perhaps he should take pity on her if Izuna hadn’t found an appropriate puzzle box for her. It had been days since he had let the man know. Surely he had found something by now.

He had nearly convinced himself to tell her the truth when he sensed Izuna heading her way, making his decision for him.

With a small sigh he abandoned the papers on his desk and drifted over to Hashirama’s office. His older brother was in the middle of a back cracking stretch when he walked in. For once Hashirama’s desk was neater than his own. Noticing the shock his baby brother was feeling Hashirama gave a sheepish grin even as his face flushed.

“Mito said if I make it home early enough she has a surprise for me.”

Tobirama blinked, then firmly killed that train of thought. He was not willing to go there. Ever.

“Right. Well. You seem fairly ahead of schedule, so perhaps you could join me for lunch?”

The brightest of smiles was directed at him and Tobirama nearly sighed. Honestly, his brother was such a dork.

Lunch was a very noisy affair. But well worth it. It was always nice to see his brother so genuinely happy. No matter how much he might complain. They both know he would kill anyone who threatened his brother’s happiness.

After lunch Tobirama decided to finish up only what was necessary for the day. He knew the look he’d seem on Hashirama’s face, it ment he didn’t want to be home come night fall. He’d just crash on his couch in the office and get an early start in the morning. Leaving him with most of the afternoon to do with as he pleased.

The tiger cubs should be big enough to play some new games with. It would be the perfect way to spend his free time.

***

Touka has been stunned when her little cousin had gone about his life without a single sign that anything was wrong. She had been almost certian that she would need the shio yokan she kept hidden in her desk.

But he had been fine. Just… fine. Like his partner hadn’t left on a mission that would keep him away for at least a week. It was a little concerning honestly. There were a few people that were rather offended on Madara’s behalf. Perhaps if she could talk to him about it, somewhere that Uchiha Kaoru could overhear…

She could gossip like no other. If she heard Tobirama admit to missing Madara that would kill the nastiest of rumors.

With that plan in mind she had every intention to corner her little cousin after work. It would make for a good distraction as well. A distraction from the man who had just shuffled into her office looking very sheepish.

“So. I um. I didn’t realize fans were a symbol of friendship in your clan. In fact, until a few days ago I thought, maybe you were just… I dunno. Playing with me. But then Tobi swore Madara hadn’t given him a fan and I thought that was so strange! And then Tobi said they’re for friends to give, like our charms! And I don’t want you to think that’s what I ment. I mean! If that’s what you want then of course I’ll accept that! But…”

Touka watched, hope flaring in her chest, breath seeming to stop entirely. When the puzzle box was shoved towards her she felt dizzy with joy. Instead of taking the puzzle she grabbed his wrist and pulled him across the desk for a clumsy first kiss. One he was all to eager to return.

All of the fans he had given her were suddenly ten times more beautiful in her mind. And his rambling had never been so sweet.

***

For the first time in his life Tobirama fled his office without cleaning up. In fact he didn’t even bother making sure the door was locked or the window shut. Hearing his sister-in-law gasping “hokage-sama!” was more than enough to send him running from the tower and to the safety of the compound without a second thought.

He was happier when he thought his brother didn’t know what sex was. Now it was a struggle to keep from over hearing far to much.

He didn’t stop running until he made it to his room and sealed himself inside. If he was lucky he’d still be able to look his brother in the eye come morning. Or he could just… take the day off. Get some training done. Peek in on Madara’s garden and see if everything was in order. He had given him an open invitation to his home…

So long as he didn’t have to face his brother in the office anything would suffice.

He burried his head under his pillow and tried not to think of it.

***

Hashirama was in a fantastic mood as he made his way to his brothers office, thinking to invite him to lunch. The day before had been perfect and he was kinda hoping for a repeat. Lunch with his baby brother and an early night. Maybe see if his lovely wife would agree to another night out. Those plans fizzled out when he poked his head in and saw an open window and a half signed paper abandoned on the desk. He struck by the sudden horrified realization that his baby brother might just have been working late in an attempt to give he and Mito a bit of privacy after being told about Mito’s surprise. A mortified blush spread over his face as he realized his baby brother knew exactly what that surprise had been.

Closing the door Hashirama want back to his office and burried himself in paperwork. He didn’t want to know what Tobirama had heard. Didn’t want to think about it. He should have activated the privacy seals. Checked to make sure his workaholic sibling wasn’t there. Anything.

This was almost worse than Tobi walking in on them the other day.

Sometime later, he wasn’t entirely sure how long he’d been working but his paperwork was nearly done, someone poked their head in the door. He blinked at them, trying to clear the haze of politics from his mind. His mind gratefully latched ontoa new distraction.

“Ah, Kaoru-san. How can I help you?”

“I was looking for Tobirama-sama. I had a few questions for him about the ranking system he and Madara-sama are working on.”

Hashirama froze for the barest instant as he remembered exactly why his brother wasn’t in the office. Kaoru didn’t seem to notice his slip, thank goodness.

“Aah. I gave him the day off! He seems so down recently I thought it might help for him to get out of the office!”

Kaoru raised a skeptical brow at him, obviously not convinced.

“He seemed just fine yesterday when you took him to lunch, Hokage-sama.”

Hashirama blinked as he thought back to lunch. Tobi had seemed fine really, just a bit melancholy. But.. He had sought Hashirama out for company. And that was a bit unusual. Now that he was thinking about it and not wrapped up in how happy he was that had spent time with his most loved people, he was a bit concerned. Perhaps Tobi really was a bit sad.

“I think he missed having lunch with Madara to be honest. He doesn’t normally ask to join me for lunch since I usually eat with my wife.”

Something in her eyes softened. Why, he wasn’t sure. But it made her appear much more friendly.

“I see. Well, I’m sure my questions can wait til tomorrow. Good-day Hokage-sama. Thank you for your time.”

He nodded absently, still thinking about his brother. Perhaps Tobi was closer to Madara than he’d thought. That was surprising. But… when he thought about all the good that had come from it so far he couldn’t be upset. Worried for his baby brother’s happiness, always. But Madara was his best friend. And he was doing everything right, not rushing in. Not trying to force things. Not asking for a contract had been the biggest indication that he’d ment it when he said he wanted a relationship. And he had proved that every day so far.

He smiled. Madara needed to come home soon.

***

The mission had been surprisingly pleasant. The daimyo’s daughter hasn’t been as horribly stuck up as he had feared and was honestly quite funny once she realized he wasn’t to treat her like she was made of glass. The first crass joke that slipped from her lips had him howling as she flushed bright red. It had been after an attempted attack and well, dicklesshad been the nicest thing she had called them.

Still, it was a relief to be done. Funny as she was she was still a civilian and slow. So slow. He wanted to go home. But, he had been correct in thinkinghe would be forced to endure a formal dinner as thanks.

So he had a few hours to kill before that and bed. He planned on heading out first thing in the morning, as soon as he possibly could.

Until then,Madara was looking around the capitol’s bazaar. That’s where he found it. The perfect courting gift. A puzzle box that when complete would form a decorative fan. Not one of the functional fans his clan prefered to give to their intended. But, it was the perfect mix to both of their courting customs. No one from either clan could bitch that he wasn’t doing it right. And the fact that fans were a gift of friendship to the Senju ment that it was three gifts in one.

He had spent a lot of time thinking on this mission. And a lot more time missing the quiet company Tobirama offered. Izuna had been right. There was no way he wanted to end up just friends. It was time to start transitioning into a real, formal courtship. He just hoped the younger man was as open to that as he was to being friends.

**Author's Note:**

> Will update on tumblr first. I have up to chapter 3 done and posted there. Over halfway through chapter 4.


End file.
